


Palm of Your Freezing Hand

by thetomkatwholived



Series: Roots in My Dreamland [2]
Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Insecurity, M/M, Shoveling as Flirting, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:27:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29124159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thetomkatwholived/pseuds/thetomkatwholived
Summary: But then… Patrick was an option. He had so graciously used his snowblower last time and indicated he was available to do it any other time. The easiest solution would be to just call Patrick and ask him for help.David is left to shovel the driveway once again and isn't sure what the protocol is about asking your hot neighbor who you may be dating to help.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Series: Roots in My Dreamland [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137029
Comments: 17
Kudos: 96





	Palm of Your Freezing Hand

**Author's Note:**

> I recommend reading the first fic in this series before this one because the story in this one hinges a lot on the first one. Thankfully, that one's pretty short!
> 
> The idea for this fic came when I noticed that one of my neighbors had shoveled out more of my driveway than I had because I was too lazy to actually do it properly. Which was a very kind gesture that I was not expecting. Of course, as with last time, I got inspired to write about David and Patrick dealing with the snow.
> 
> Huge thanks to [nontoxic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nontoxic/pseuds/nontoxic) for giving this a read and reassuring me that it fit with the previous fic. Also, helping me not begin the first two sentences in the exact same way.
> 
> Title from ivy by Taylor Swift because I've decided to commit.

As soon as David woke up, he had a creeping sense of dread, as if something had happened overnight that would throw a wrench into his perfectly crafted morning routine. When he glanced out the window and was greeted with almost a foot of freshly fallen snow, he knew he was right to worry.

He had not budgeted time to shovel this morning, so he would have to either do the abbreviated version of his skincare routine or settle for hair that did not reach the correct height. Patrick had drilled it into his head (not in any sort of fun way) that keeping regular store hours was important, so as much as he wanted to just open later today, it wasn’t a viable option.

But then… Patrick was an option. He had so graciously used his snowblower last time and indicated he was available to do it any other time. The easiest solution would be to just call Patrick and ask him for help. 

Except that David and Patrick had been on four dates in the last two weeks, and David had no idea where they stood. Sure, it’s easy to just call up your hot, friendly neighbor, but how do you call up the guy you’re sort of seeing and really like but don’t want to scare away like you’ve done to every other person you’ve ever dated? Would it be weird? Or rude? They’d seen each other many times in between dates and texted frequently, so maybe it wouldn’t be weird.

David continued his internal debate as he got ready, warring with himself about whether it would seem too needy or desperate. As he was putting finishing touches on his hair, Stevie popped her head into the bathroom.

“Did you shovel before getting ready this morning?” She was eyeing him suspiciously, clearly sceptical of his ability to do such an activity early in the morning.

“What? No, I haven’t shoveled yet. I was going to head out there soon. I thought you didn’t have to be in until 10 am today?”

“No, I don’t. But the driveway is clear.”

David scoffed. “Yeah, okay. Stevie, I don’t know if you’ve looked outside, but it’s basically like that time I went to Alaska with Ryan Reynolds thinking we were reenacting The Proposal, but we actually just lived in an ice hut for a month for ‘role research.’ Although, things did get interesting when Blake came to visit...”

“And I don’t know if you’ve looked outside,” She grabbed his arm, bringing him out of his memory, and dragged him to a window that faced the driveway, “but the driveway is clear.”

And it was. The lawn was still blanketed in pristine, untouched snow, but the driveway only had a thin layer of white, the asphalt clearly peeking through, as though the snow had fallen everywhere but that one stretch.

“I didn’t --” Before he could finish that thought, he caught sight of Patrick stowing his snowblower back in his shed. Without a second thought, David rushed downstairs and hastily threw on his coat and boots, staggering outside into the windy cold.

“Hey! Hey! Patrick!” The man in question turned to David, squinting in the glare of the sun on the freshly fallen snow. David stumbled across his own lawn and cleared driveway until he was standing in front of Patrick, breathing just a bit more shallow than he’d like to admit. “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” He looked genuinely confused, as if him clearing David’s driveway weren’t some horribly selfless gesture that made no sense to do out of the blue.

“My driveway. Did you… Was that you?” David felt something low in his stomach, a fluttering that made him feel like he was hollow, only a vessel for these overwhelming feelings.

Patrick’s face softened. “Yeah. I, uh, noticed your driveway was still covered in snow and figured I could be of assistance.” He shrugged, as if this were something casual he’d just do regardless and not one of the most romantic things that had ever happened to David.

“You -- I --” Patrick watched David struggle to get a sentence out, calm and slightly teasing smile in place. “No one’s ever -- fuck.” 

Words no longer working, David grabbed Patrick’s face in his freezing hands, causing him to flinch just slightly, and pulled him forward for a frankly filthy kiss. This kiss was certainly not appropriate to be having here, on Patrick’s front lawn before 9 am. But David wanted Patrick to know how grateful he was, and he wanted to show him primarily with his tongue.

When they separated, David dropped his hands from Patrick’s face only to have them snatched up by Patrick, who looked dazed. 

“Thank you.” David whispered. “I wasn’t sure I could ask.”

“Um,” Patrick cleared his throat, “you can ask me anytime. I’m open to any and all asking.”

“I didn’t want to pressure you or anything. Because we’re…” David trailed off, unsure of what their status actually could be called.

“Dating?” Patrick tilted his head, considering David.

David pushed his smile to one side of his face, not letting it bloom into the full grin it so desperately wanted to be. “Yeah, dating. Just, historically, I do much better when I’m more aloof while... dating someone.”

Patrick nodded slowly, seeming to contemplate David’s words. “You can be aloof, if that’s what you’re comfortable with. But, cards on the table, I like you, David. I want you to randomly text or call me. I want you to ask me for help when it’s something I can help with. I really like talking to you, so if you want to be less aloof, I’m very okay with that.”

As he spoke, David had pulled a hand from Patrick’s grasp in an attempt to hide his grin. Once Patrick’s words settled in, he grabbed Patrick’s free hand again, eliciting a smile at the contact. “I like you too.”

“I know, you basically just mauled me.” Patrick was quick with his wit, something David had found refreshing the more he got to know him. He rarely found someone who could keep up with his snark, but Patrick gave it back like he had been verbally sparring with David for years.

“Okay, it wasn’t a mauling! And to be fair, you can’t expect me to just not kiss you when you do nice things for me. Especially now that I just can kiss you.”

“Mm, that’s quite the incentive to continue to do nice things.” Patrick released David’s hands only to wrap his arms around David’s waist, pulling him in flush to his chest. David draped his arms over Patrick’s shoulders.

David nodded as he leaned in, mouth ghosting Patrick’s lips, delighting in his warm breath fanning out across David’s face. He closed his eyes, eagerly anticipating another enthusiastic kiss, to be met instead with nothing.

“I know you’re new at this, but when the guy you’re dating leans in and closes his eyes, you should probably kiss him.” David opened his eyes to see Patrick studying his face with the softest expression. “What?”

“I just don’t get to look as much as I’d like. You’re kind of breathtaking.”

At that David, gave a frustrated, and fond, groan and reeled Patrick in for a repeat performance of earlier.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
